Discuss anything and everything related to the Transformers Live Action Films franchise, which are directed by Michael Bay. Transformers 3 is scheduled to be released on July 1st, 2011. Check out our Live Action Film section here.

ComingSoon wrote:With "Transformers: The Ride-3D" now open at Universal Studios Hollywood, film franchise director Michael Bay stopped by the ride and spoke with The LA Times about his plans for his fourth -- and, as he stated recently final -- Transformers film, set to hit theaters on June 27, 2014.

“It’s not a reboot," Bay said, reiterating that the new film will have an all-new cast. "That’s maybe the wrong word. I don’t want to say 'reboot' because then people will think we’re doing a 'Spider-Man' and starting from the beginning. We’re not. We’re taking the story that you’ve seen - the story we’ve told in three movies already - and we’re taking it in a new direction. But we’re leaving those three as the history. It all still counts... We’re moving on to something different."

Though the script, currently being drafted by Ehren Kruger, is not yet final, Bay hints that one place the fourth film may go is into outer space.

"That feels like the way to go, doesn’t it?" says Bay. "I want to go a little off [the planet] but I don’t want to go too sci-fi. I still want to keep it grounded."

No matter what, Bay says that one element of the new production is to scale back the budget somewhat to around $165 million, about $30 million less than 2011's Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

............."We're gonna see just how much Rod they can handle!"............

ComingSoon wrote:With "Transformers: The Ride-3D" now open at Universal Studios Hollywood, film franchise director Michael Bay stopped by the ride and spoke with The LA Times about his plans for his fourth -- and, as he stated recently final -- Transformers film, set to hit theaters on June 27, 2014.

“It’s not a reboot," Bay said, reiterating that the new film will have an all-new cast. "That’s maybe the wrong word. I don’t want to say 'reboot' because then people will think we’re doing a 'Spider-Man' and starting from the beginning. We’re not. We’re taking the story that you’ve seen - the story we’ve told in three movies already - and we’re taking it in a new direction. But we’re leaving those three as the history. It all still counts... We’re moving on to something different."

Though the script, currently being drafted by Ehren Kruger, is not yet final, Bay hints that one place the fourth film may go is into outer space.

"That feels like the way to go, doesn’t it?" says Bay. "I want to go a little off [the planet] but I don’t want to go too sci-fi. I still want to keep it grounded."

No matter what, Bay says that one element of the new production is to scale back the budget somewhat to around $165 million, about $30 million less than 2011's Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

Well aside from Kruger working on the script again I must say this is the first time I've been worried about a Transformers film not delivering the goods. Not due to the lower budget, since $165 million is hardly a low budget film by any standard. Rather it's because, honestly, it seems their going to make this based partially on the post-'86 movie seasons of G1. Those were some of the worst in animated canon with only the Energon cartoons able to dethrone it.

Also a note on the lower budget: If the film is set in space it could bring down the budget since they'd have to do a lot less location shooting. It costs much to rent out parts of cities and carry all that film equipment around.

I'm excited for this. But why keep it grounded? This is Transformers! ****'s never been grounded, why go there now? I want big Cybertron battles like in the beginning of DOTM. They almost got it right, but it was short an didn't show much of the personal action. They just showed a dog fight with the battle going on in the background. I want actual Cybertron battles. I hope the final battle takes place partially in space and partially on earth. Something like what Mass Effect 3 did; while there's a battle on the ground, there's also stuff blowing up in space between massive Autobot and Decepticon ships.

SlyTF1 wrote:I'm excited for this. But why keep it grounded? This is Transformers! ****'s never been grounded, why go there now? I want big Cybertron battles like in the beginning of DOTM. They almost got it right, but it was short an didn't show much of the personal action. They just showed a dog fight with the battle going on in the background. I want actual Cybertron battles. I hope the final battle takes place partially in space and partially on earth. Something like what Mass Effect 3 did; while there's a battle on the ground, there's also stuff blowing up in space between massive Autobot and Decepticon ships.

You know, as much as I hated ME3's ending that space battle was awesome.

SlyTF1 wrote:I'm excited for this. But why keep it grounded? This is Transformers! ****'s never been grounded, why go there now? I want big Cybertron battles like in the beginning of DOTM. They almost got it right, but it was short an didn't show much of the personal action. They just showed a dog fight with the battle going on in the background. I want actual Cybertron battles. I hope the final battle takes place partially in space and partially on earth. Something like what Mass Effect 3 did; while there's a battle on the ground, there's also stuff blowing up in space between massive Autobot and Decepticon ships.

You know, as much as I hated ME3's ending that space battle was awesome.

I prefer little details with the autobots bickering, discussing thier plans in a ship while being shot at by decepticons in space...Just something I would like to see in TF4. As for the news, I honestly am not too thrilled on the films budget. I also hope that if and when we go into space for the movie, we see some robot on robot action via space ships and fighter jets. Would be cool to see.

Director Michael Bay recently shared some details about his upcoming fourth live action Transformers film with the LA Times. Bay reiterates that this will not be a reboot, though there will be an all new cast. He also hints that this film may see the action move off planet. The fourth film, which is currently being written by Ehren Kruger, will see a smaller budget than that of Transformers: DOTM, approximately $165 million.

“It’s not a reboot," Bay said, reiterating that the new film will have an all-new cast. "That’s maybe the wrong word. I don’t want to say 'reboot' because then people will think we’re doing a 'Spider-Man' and starting from the beginning. We’re not. We’re taking the story that you’ve seen - the story we’ve told in three movies already - and we’re taking it in a new direction. But we’re leaving those three as the history. It all still counts... We’re moving on to something different."

"That feels like the way to go, doesn’t it?" says Bay. "I want to go a little off [the planet] but I don’t want to go too sci-fi. I still want to keep it grounded."

The mention of a smaller budget worries me. It won't be a problem if he saves some cash by going easy on the overseas locations (Egypt, China, Jordan, etc.) and superfluous explosions, but if he skimps on the CGI, that means less screen time for the bots.

On the other hand, if they're going to tell the story in space, then they can't possibly skimp on the CGI.

I would prefer a reboot. I don't even know if Cybertron is still there, I had thought the first movie said it was destroyed and uninhabitable. So many characters have disappeared/reappeared without explanation, so many good namesakes have been used, Megatron's been revived/fixed/reformatted too much, etc...

I understand a lot of these things can be somewhat explained/patched with comics/novels, but they shouldn't have to be. If Bay didn't make awesome action sequences, I would want an entirely new director. I hope this movie, if not a reboot, will have some allmighty reviving mechanism or something, where they can basically give characters like Devastator the screentime they deserve.

This kind of makes you wonder a bit whether or not someone may have been left behind to watch over the Nemesis and whether that someone is going to step up and fill the void now that every single main Decepticon is dead as a doornail.

This takes care of both the "off planet" aspect and the new enemy aspect.

Just please don't bring Uncron into the mix. This is going to be a suck-fest as it is without THAT lame storyline. It worked in 1986...ONCE! It should have stayed in 1986 where it was still cool. Now it's just freakin' old and so badly butchered that, for the life of me, I can't see why people get excited over it and want to see it bastardized yet again.

SKYWARPED_128 wrote:The mention of a smaller budget worries me. It won't be a problem if he saves some cash by going easy on the overseas locations (Egypt, China, Jordan, etc.) and superfluous explosions, but if he skimps on the CGI, that means less screen time for the bots.

On the other hand, if they're going to tell the story in space, then they can't possibly skimp on the CGI.

Bays an expensive director because he prefers to use actual locations and physical effects unless he can absolutely avoid it. A film set in the future would negate many of the travel costs of filming on location.

T-Macksimus wrote:This is going to be a suck-fest as it is without THAT lame storyline.

That's an amazing review of a film that hasn't even left the planning stages yet.

Calling it now, Optimus driven to insanity by his guilt for causing the destruction of Cybertron ends up being Nemesis Prime, and it is now up to the rookie Autobot Hot Rodimus to bring him to justice!

guarayakha wrote:Calling it now, Optimus driven to insanity by his guilt for causing the destruction of Cybertron ends up being Nemesis Prime, and it is now up to the rookie Autobot Hot Rodimus to bring him to justice!

Motto:"Tell my tale to those who ask. Tell it truly; the ill deeds along with the good, and let me be judged accordingly. The rest ... is silence."

Weapon: Twin Shock-Concussion Missiles

Capt.Failure wrote:Bays an expensive director because he prefers to use actual locations and physical effects unless he can absolutely avoid it. A film set in the future would negate many of the travel costs of filming on location.

Bay's not an expensive director, these are just expensive movies. He's the business man's director. Gets things done on time, when he says he will, and on budget. He delivers.

Guys, guys! Smaller budget because no globe trotting locations, smaller cast, the war on Earth already happened, in space/other planet, Megatron already dead? Still packed with all the nameless deaths and Baysplosions? Sound familiar to anyone?

We are talking possible "Last Stand of the Wreckers" movie here!

All I ask is that Overlord be voiced by Clancy Brown. Whenever I read LSOTW, Overlord sounds like Animated Lex Luthor to me!